Cabbage Patch Stew

Cabbage Patch Stew

I love brussel sprouts, when I was a little girl, I thought they were cute little, baby cabbages. They're not a very popular vegetable. I can't understand why, they go great with almost anything, steak dinner, Italian meatloaf, in a pot of soup.
I'm always trying to find ways, to use these little super-veggies (nutrients).
Combining brussel sprouts,and tomatoes, (Both are very high in vitamin-C) Makes this a highly nutritious meal, loaded with several anti-oxidants.

For the meatballs:
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup Italian style bread crumbs
2eggs
Combine and roll into small meatballs. Drop them in boiling water for 15-minutes. Drain, set aside.

For the stew:
1tsp. oil
1 diced onion
1tsp. minced garlic
1 rib celery-diced
1 green bell pepper-diced
Two-29oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1tsp. basil
1tsp. sugar
2 bags of frozen brussel sprouts-( I cooked them whole, but I'll halve them next time.)
cooked meatballs
2cups cooked rice

Make the meatballs, drain and set aside.
Heat the oil, on medium, in a 4quart pot.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes brussel sprouts, salt, pepper, basil,and sugar.  Simmer about 25-30 minutes, until the sprouts are tender. stir in the cooked rice, then fold in the meatballs. cook 5 minutes more, and serve.

Leprechaun Stew

Leprechaun Stew
This is a no-name dish, that my mom made occasionally. I'm guessing it's most likely German in origin, since most of the food I grew up with, was predominantly so.
To get my kids to eat cabbage, I would tell them " It's leprechauns favorite food."  and dubbed this dish 'Leprechaun Stew'...worked like a charm.
( I recently made Zombie soup, for my grandkids.)
This is similar, to a New England boiled dinner, but you use a pork roast, instead of corned beef. Besides the cabbage, you can use any vegetables you like. (turnips and carrots, work well in this)

1 pork loin roast - sliced or cubed
1tsp. garlic powder
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1 diced onion
1 head of cabbage-chopped
4 or 5 potatoes cubed

Put the pork, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper, in a 4-quart pot.
Fill half full of water, and boil until the pork is tender, about 1 hour for cubed pork.
Add the potatoes and enough water to cover, if necessary. Then add the cabbage. (The water will not cover the cabbage, but it will wilt, as it cooks.) Cook until the potatoes and cabbage, are tender, adding water if necessary.
Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Ham and Vegetable Cheese Soup

My rating: like it.

                                   Ham and Vegetable Cheese Soup

1 ham steak-diced-about 2 cups
4cups water
3cups potatoes-diced
2-16oz. bags of frozen California blend (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot)
1 can of evaporated milk
2cups diced processed cheese (Like Velveeta, But I prefer generic)
salt and pepper-to taste
1/2cup dry, instant potato flakes

In a 4quart pan, add the ham, water, potatoes, and frozen vegetables.
Cook until the potatoes, are just starting to soften.
Add the milk, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Continue cooking, stirring, until the cheese melts, and the potatoes are soft.
Stir in the potato flakes, turn the heat off, and allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.
This is a very hearty soup, that is really good with a salad, and fresh baked bread.

Sue's Potato Soup

My Rating: really liked it.

                                              Sue's Potato Soup
A co-worker brought a pot of this soup, for everyone's lunch, several years ago. It is the best potato soup I have ever had!

Ingredients:
1lb. bacon-chopped
1cup diced celery
1cup grated carrots
1cup diced onion
6cups water
8cupd diced potatoes- peeled, or un-peeled
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1Tbl. parsley
1 can evaporated milk
1cup cubed processed cheddar-like Velveeta, but I prefer generic

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot, fry the bacon until, almost crispy.
Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook, stirring until the onion has softened a little.
Add the water, potatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are almost soft.
Add the milk and cheese, continue to cook, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Turn the burner off, and allow it to cool a bit, before serving. It's great with crackers.

Chicken and Homemade Noodles

                                  Chicken and Homemade Noodles

This is hands down, the most requested dish, I dread to make. I think it's because they are so messy. But they are really simple, just difficult to explain. So, bear with me.
I cook this about two to three, times a month, but twice a week would still not be enough, for my brood of 30, and counting. Every week I make a shopping list, and ask, what sound good, this week, someone always calls out, "Chicken and noodles", and they're met, with an icy stare. My epitaph will read "Her noodles will be missed."
If you laid, every batch of dough, I've rolled, end to end, I think I've rolled enough noodles to take me around the globe, at least once.
It's a curse, being Noodle Royalty.... My kingdom, for a pasta machine!

I've been putting off sharing this recipe, because I don't actually, use measurements. I just beat some eggs (36 at every holiday meal) throw in, a tiny amount of baking powder, then flour, adding more, until it 'feels' right. These are very, dense, thick, and almost, chewy. Just the way they like 'em., but you can roll them thinner, and cut them smaller, to suit your taste. They are very similar to Reames frozen noodles. I tried to sneak the frozen ones, in the pot once, but they could tell the difference. What the heck, noodle connoisseurs.  


Preparation:
I start out by stewing a chicken, as in the recipe for chicken and dumplings.
Add water to the pot of shredded chicken to fill a 4quart pan, half full. (this is enough broth, for one batch of noodles, but you could put this in a larger pot, add about 3quarts of water, total, and make two batches, if you like.)
Adjust seasonings, it usually needs more salt and pepper.
Make the noodles.(directions below)
Bring to a full, rolling boil, before adding noodles.
Drop them in, one at a time. Stirring them in, toward the end. (they cook almost instantly, and float to the surface, the last of the noodles need to be stirred or, pushed into the boiling broth.)
The broth cools as the noodles are being added. Once you've added them all to the pot, wait for it to come to a full boil, again, then turn off the burner. They're ready to serve. The flour from the noodles, dissolves and makes the broth, gravy-like.


Ingredients for noodles:
12 eggs
1tsp. baking powder
5-1/2 cups flour-plus more for rolling

Whisk together, the eggs and baking powder, until well beaten.
Stir in 3cups of the flour, beating with a spoon until it looks like a batter.
Stir in as much of the 2-1/2cups remaining flour as you can, kneading in the rest, until you have a firm dough, that is still a bit sticky, in the center. Set aside 30 minutes, to let the dough cure. (This makes it easier to work with) If you are opting for the no-roll method, The dough is now ready to be added to the boiling broth. If not, Sprinkle 1/2cup of flour onto a flat surface, Split the dough into 2 pieces. Roll out 1 piece into a 1/8inch rectangle.( It doesn't have to be perfect) Add more flour to the top, and run your hand across it to distribute it evenly. ( This keeps it from sticking together, when you roll it.) Roll the dough like a jellyroll. cut. I added photos to make a little more sense of my insane directions.

The no-roll method:
One holiday, I forgot about making the noodles, until the last minute. God forbid, I try to serve Turkey without noodles. WOOP WOOP! an alarm would sound, throughout the land. The first of the seven seals, will have been broken. ( F.Y.I.-Turkey makes the best broth, for noodles) I had absolutely no room, anywhere to roll them, so I devised a no roll, plan. I kneaded in enough flour, so the the dough wasn't sticky, then pinched off, little pieces of the dough, dropping them into the boiling broth. They tasted exactly the same, just shaped irregularly. They got their noodle fix, and I didn't have to clean up the flour, aftermath. I still make them this way occasionally, when I'm feeling lazy.

 Whisk the eggs and baking powder, stir in 3cups of flour, and beat into a batter.

Knead in as much of the flour as you can, to make a firm dough. Let it rest 30 minutes.

 Sprinkle1/2cup of flour onto a flat surface. (I use a large cookie sheet, easier to clean than a counter-top) Roll into an 1/8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle more flour on the surface, and use your hand to distribute it across the dough.

       Begin rolling one of the longer sides, toward the center. Smooth more flour across the folded dough. It takes a lot of flour, to keep the noodles from sticking together.

                Continue rolling and smoothing more flour, after each roll.

Cut the dough, unroll the noodle, and toss it in the flour on the rolling surface. Continue cutting and tossing them in flour.

I've found, the best knife to use, is a sharp bread knife, dipped in flour. As long as it has short "teeth?" Let the knife do the work, If you press too hard, it will crush the dough, and the noodle will stick together. Now they are ready to go into the boiling broth.

Chicken and Dumplings-and Great-Grandma

                                        Chicken and Dumplings

I consider myself very lucky to have gotten to know two of my Great-Grandmothers, one lived to be 100 years old. I wish I had paid more attention when she tried to teach me how to make chicken and dumplings (Her signature dish), it took a couple of decades to figure it out on my own. I shudder to think of all the things she could have taught me, had I been inclined to learn.
She was born in 1889, and passed in 1990, Just imagine the huge changes that came to pass, all around her, but she was very spunky and fought them tooth and nail.
When I was a little girl she still used a hand pump for water, an out-house, and a wood burning stove, to cook on. One year my Grandfather piped in water and natural gas for her. She was OK with that, but they never heard the end of replacing her beloved wood burning stove with a gas one. She pretty much gave up cooking after that, saying she couldn't cook on that "blasted contraption". I can certainly understand that one, My husband has bought several expensive sets of pots and pans for me, as gifts, but I still cook on my old, original set. (30 years old, and looks it.) It is not possible for me to cook this dish, and not think of that feisty German lady.
Her Family came here when she was very young. The whole family was musical, and traveled around the country, performing in Vaudeville. That's how she met my Great-Grandfather ( a magician and violinist in Vaudeville) She was only 14 when they married. (that was common in those days) and stayed married their entire lives.
I think that alone is truly amazing. This isn't Grandma's recipe, but still a good one.

I think the best tasting dumplings and noodles, come from stewing a whole chicken. But not all families are as large as my brood, so it's not really practical for them. I make 4 batches of dumplings for an entire chicken.
Really, you only need the finished broth for the dumplings, You could save most of the chicken for a meal the next day, like chicken salad.
You can get pretty good results, from using a chicken breast or two in chicken broth and water, along with the celery and onion. You could also add vegetables if you like such as carrots, peas, and slice the celery.


For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
2 ribs celery- whole
1 small onion diced
1Tsp. salt (or more)
1tsp. pepper ( or less) 

Dumplings: Makes about 18
3 to 3-1/2cups flour
1-1/2tsp. salt
1Tbl. baking powder
1/2tsp. baking soda
1egg-beaten
1+1/3cup buttermilk
2Tbl. melted butter

Preparation:
Add the Chicken, celery, onion, salt and pepper to a 4 quart pot.
I cook the chicken until (literally) the legs almost fall off. Adding water as necessary. By this time the broth is very rich.
Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool. Remove the celery and discard.
Shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Mix the dumpling ingredients. Dumplings are kind of tricky, they need to be the right consistency, or they fall apart. I added photos (below) to help.
You'll need at least 4-1/2cups broth from the stewed chicken. (Add more water if needed)
Bring the broth to a boil. Drop in the dumplings one heaping tablespoon at a time.
Don't stir or dumplings will fall apart.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, Cover with a lid. (no peeking)
It's really important not to lift the lid for 20 minutes. Once you add the lid, the broth will rise (like a pressure cooker, and cover the dumplings, if you lift the lid, the tops will be mushy.)
After 20 minutes, turn off the burner, and serve.

 Add the chicken, celery and onion to a 4qt pot. cook until the chicken begins to fall apart. 2-3 hours.

Add the chicken back to the pot, there needs to be at least 4-1/2 cups of broth in the pot, more is better.

After 3 cups of flour, this is still a bit sticky, add flour a little at a time, until it looks like the next photo.

Just right. It is possible to add too much flour, then they become dry on the inside, sort of like a biscuit. I think I've made every possible mistake, making dumplings, over the years. The worst mistake was, not enough broth in the pot, I had to throw out that burnt mess. But, as with cooking any recipe, it's a learning process, mistakes teach you something, so don't give up!

New England Clam Chowder

                          My version of New England Clam Chowder
 

 I once read, that most of the vitamins in a potato, are just under the surface of the skin. If you peel it, you lose most of the nutrients. So, I never peel them anymore, unless I absolutely have to. (My kids once gave me the stink-eye for leaving the skins in mashed potatoes... I had to try.)
Kids really are your most honest critics. This is usually an endearing quality, except when they use this same, said quality, on those craz,...um.. I mean, brave enough to visit a family with 4 energetic children.

Once, while a neighbor lady was visiting, My oldest son, who was about 3 or 4 years old, threw his arms around her waist, chin on her tummy, and said " I love you!... you're the fattest person in the whole world!"
I just stood there, with my mouth unhinged, trying to think of anything to disarm the situation... when she burst out guffawing.
Phew!, close one. You can peel the potatoes if you like, but I think the peel adds a rustic charm to this old favorite.


Clam Chowder
3-4 strips bacon - chopped
1/2cup celery- diced
1onion-diced
4cups water
6cups potatoes-diced
2 cans minced clams- and their juices
1can evaporated milk-with 1Tbl. cornstarch dissolved in it


Preparation:
In a 4quart pot, fry the bacon until it's just starting to crisp.
Add the onion and celery, and cook until the onions are transparent.
Add the water and potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are just beginning to soften.
Add the milk and clams, and bring to a boil.
Turn off the burner and let stand about 30 minutes to thicken further.
Since the potatoes, at this point, are about the same temperature as molten lava, it's probably a good idea anyway.

Grandpa's Chinese Noodles

                                      Grandpa's Chinese Noodles

My Grandparents were raising a family during the great depression. They told me stories about families getting together and creating soups out of whatever ingredients they could scrape together. Even entire neighborhoods would come together and cook soup to survive. There are a few that have become family traditions. This is one of those. Even the kids love this one. It tastes like wonton soup, but more filling. And that must have been the point during the great depression. Cheap, quick and filling.

Ingredients:
2lb. vermicelli
1 onion-diced
1lb. ground beef
1 bottle la-choy- type soy sauce
scallions-from about 10 green onions

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot bring 2quarts of water to boil.
Add diced onion
Pinch bite sized pieces of the ground beef and drop them into the boiling water.
Boil for a few minutes and add the vermicelli.
Cook until the pasta is cooked through, you may need to add more water to make it somewhat soup like.
Add scallions to the pot.
At this point you can add soy sauce to the pot (according to taste) or, do as I do, let everyone add it to their bowls according to taste. You really should try this, it's yummy ( as Ariel puts it)

Grandpa's Oyster Stew

                                          Grandpa's Oyster Stew
Grandpa used to make this soup-like dish often, for lunch.
He used evaporated milk in a lot of his dishes, saying it added richness.
A habit I've pick up as well.
You either love this dish or hate it. I love it.

Ingredients:
1 can whole oysters and their juices-chopped
1 can evaporated milk
1 stick of butter
1 quart of water
1tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a 2quart pan and heat until the butter has melted and it's just about to boil.
Don't allow this to boil or a skin will form over the surface. Serve hot with oyster crackers

Bacon Goulash

                                                  Bacon Goulash
                               This is really good. Even the kids love it.

Ingredients:
1,lb. Macaroni or medium shells-cooked
1/2 lb.bacon cut into lardons   What-Are-Lardons-Video
1-Large onion-diced
1-Large can tomato juice or 1 29oz. can of tomato sauce-depending on the consistency you like
1-29oz. can of diced tomatoes


Preparation:
Fry bacon and onion. Drain drippings, Drain pasta.
In a large pot add- bacon mixture, pasta, and tomato juice and and tomatoes.
Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through. Serve.
 This is  also good with ground beef. Just omit the bacon, add ground beef and diced green peppers to the onions. Proceed the same way.

Cream Of Broccoli Soup

                                       Cream Of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli, or 2 heads fresh-chopped
3tbl. chicken base or bullion-or- 1 cup chicken stock
1 quart of half and half-or- milk- or- (evaporated milk-add 1 qt of water for this)
(1/2cup butter -and- 1/2 cup flour for roux)

Directions:
In a 4 qt. stock pan add broccoli and just enough water to cover. boil about 10 minutes until broccoli is tender.
Add milk and chicken base,and heat.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a sauce pan then add flour,whisk constantly until it forms a thick paste(roux).
Cook and stir for 1 minute longer. turn off heat.
When milk almost boils add the roux and whisk while simmering to dissolve the roux and thicken the soup.The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.
Great served with salad with french dressing.

             This roux is only cooked for a minute or two- called a blonde roux